Mac
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Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has recently moved to the Yorkshire Dales from London to escape the stress of the metropolis. But soon he finds that life in the country is not quite as idyllic as he had imagined.
A peeping Tom is frightening the women of Eastvale. Two glue-sniffing thugs are breaking into homes. An old woman may or may not have been murdered. In addition, Banks has to deal with his attraction to young psychologist Jenny Fuller. As the tension mounts, both Jenny and Banks
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A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
His life was like his recurring nightmare: a train to nowhere. But an ordinary life has a way of taking an extraordinary turn. Add a girl whose ears are so exquisite that, when uncovered, they improve sex a thousand-fold, a runaway friend, a right-wing politico, an ovine obsessed professor and a manic-depressive in a sheep outfit, implicate them in a hunt for a sheep, that may or may not be running the world, and the upshot is another singular masterpiece from Japan’s finest novelist.
Once again, Murakami reels one in to his somewhat surreal world of magical realism with a story that’s part mystery, part love story and part comedy. There is true beauty in his writing. I must sound so predictable when putting my thoughts down about his books, but this chap is one of (if not the) my favourite authors ever.
The closest any of the characters comes to having a proper name in this novel is a fellow referred to simply as ‘J’ – and what’s interesting is that this lack of names adds to the detached quality of the story, it’s all somewhat unreal and dream-like. As usual, the pace is perfect, the structure spot on and the language exquisite. Another wonderful novel. I’ll have all on not jumping straight into another of his.
9.5/10
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I actually love cooking. It helps me relax, along with Radio 4 and a glass of wine. I like experimenting with recipes, altering them a little once I've tried them.
And I wash up!
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Gah. It took me ages to carve that burial mound, dammit! You youngsters have no respect for us seniors...
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The James Herbert book Haunted is excellent as is the Dean Koontz novel False Memory. I'm sure you'll like these. The only vamp book I've ever read is Dracula - oh, no, wait - and The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova which is a superb novel. One of my all time favourites!
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Hi Brian. I'm nobody's mum. I don't have the tubes, dude.
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Males....*pfft*..
[/font]Oooh! Hark at her! Saucer of milk over here, please, Gar
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Yeah, I really think there should be a rule about it so that latecomers are denied entrance! You wouldn't get away with it in a theatre so a cinema should be no different.
I love the trailers at the theatre, too! Quick, exciting tasters of plays coming soon...
"This summer...crime has a new adversary...and the fun never stops!"
(I was using a deep-voiced font there, did you notice?)
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Mmmm...Nigella....
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The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't. -Russell Beland, Springfield
Douglas Adams wrote that the Vogon Constructor Fleet "hung in the air in exactly the same way that bricks don't".
And he was a genius.
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But, but... doesn't that mean the page gets all bendy? I have had one such a thing before, meant for books, was a larger one, but they left this indentation in the shape of the paperclip on the page.
No. NO. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I use a piece of papyrus that my girlfriend's sister brought back from Egypt as a bookmark - it's really thin, so it doesn't damage my obsessively protected books at all. Phew!
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It is a good review, Kelly. I'm sticking this one on my 'To buy' list.
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My ex-wife and I once threw a party at my mother's house in their absence (shhh, don't tell her!). We were about 28 or 29 - I forget. My best friend, Kirree, managed to spill an enormous glass of red wine over a cream coloured foot stool whilst another friend of mine, Nick, was holding me upside down by the ankles as I grabbed his as he jumped up and down. My ex had read that white wine solves this issue, so went on to empty an entire bottle over the stain. Then Kirree said that salt did the trick, so found a box of it and emptied that all over it too. Suffice to say that, in the morning, the stain had gone!
It left an interesting paste, though, that took ages to get rid of...
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From western Australia, currently living in the goldfields, soon to be going costal again!
Is going coastal a bit like going postal?
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I'm from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse...
...actually, no, I'm from Derbyshire. In England. Dull, isn't it?
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Erm...I tend to get crushes on 'weird' girls anyway. Obviously, I fancy Zooey Deschanel like a crazyman and I also think that Alison Goldfrapp is AMAZINGLY attractive but I always go for the absolutely bonkers women. Always. You should see my back catalogue. All gorgeous. All bonkers.
Sigh.
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Made out of slugs???
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I'm a little way into A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami. Once again, he draws me in to his crisp, fresh world and I feel cleansed a little. What is it about this guy that makes me feel so pulled towards his sphere? Sushi for the mind, I keep saying this but - really - sushi for the mind...
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Slugs eating my lettuce seedlings, and nextdoors cat thinking my yard is a latrine.
See above. I'm thinking of buying a pellet gun...
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If you intend to read this book, do not highlight the spoiler bit!!!
61 Hours by Lee Child
My mojo had disappeared for a while resulting in my inability to maintain my attention on any sort of novel. Then out came 61 Hours. As usual, Lee Child restores my senses and I can plough through a thumping good read.
I've mentioned before about my conclusions surrounding the male role model for me and my search for a father-figure, but I'll reiterate here that in Jack Reacher I find all the qualities that I strive to develop in myself. I think that Lee Child inspires this in a lot of his readers. He is truly skilled. I've also mentioned before that I can be quite...snobbish about certain books. If, when one is honest with oneself, one feels the same and has been put off by the awful tag-line, expecting a low-brow actioner, have a go. He's brilliant.
This most recent novel is a belter, proving Lee Child is back on form. It races through from chapter to chapter, counting down from 61 hours - a great page turning trick, damn you, Child! Fast paced, with some nasty bad guys and some sympathetic heroes, you just can't help rooting for Reacher.
However,
when I got to the end only to discover the apparent death of Jack Reacher, I nearly shouted out loud. And then over the page it says "To be continued 30.09.10", dammit! That's over 5 months away!
So, all in all, I can barely wait until his next book comes out, the cad!
9/10
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This novel is in my top ten books of all time. Thought I'd stick that information in here.
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^That's not a proper review, I know, I'm just jotting down thoughts for future reviewing reference.
It seemed like a good account of your thoughts, though!
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Tip top, ta. Busy like a thing that's busy, but in top of it all and kicking! Woo hoo!
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Aaaah Norfolk. That explains everything.
I've never watched the Buffster, so nope.
Oh.
I know that quote. What is it?
Mac Reads (started 2009)
in Book Blogs - Discuss your reading!
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Caught by Harlan Coben
Seventeen-year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without a word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.
Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate